Predators of the Canadian Goose

Guest Author - Lisa Shea

Canadian Goose are extremely large and aggressive birds. Just what kind of animals would feed on a Canadian Goose? Man is of course the top predator. But even the thought of a tasty goose dinner hasn't kept the number of Canadian Geese from exploding. Most states now consider this large bird a pest because of the amount of feces a large flock of geese can produce in a day.

The natural predators for the Canadian Goose and its young are:

* Dogs
* Raccoons
* Foxes
* Owls
* Weasels

While other birds will take to flight and escape danger, Canadian Geese are noted for being stubborn and aggressive - so they are likely to stand their ground and fight off the attacker. Because they are very flock-oriented, a fox trying to single out a lone goose will soon find itself facing 8 or 9 - and retreating to safety.

While these predators might keep the goose population in check in wilderness areas, there are typically no predators at all in many areas the Canadian Goose now tends to hang out in - golf courses and lawns of buildings. And the larger the flock becomes, the smaller the chance that any predator will risk an attack. The end result is that the flocks keep getting larger, the impact of their feces on local water supplies grows worse, and the chance of natural predators handling the balance becomes less and less.